High on the list of most-asked questions that apologists receive is "How do I convert" the child who has left the Church, the friend who has come out as a homosexual, the local anti-Catholic who is smearing the Church in the media, the goodhearted non-Christian who is just not interested in the claims of Christ? Inquirers want books, CDs, or DVDs to hand to these people, evidently convinced that a few well-crafted arguments will win over others either to the Catholic Faith or to a more...

I am always rather in awe of the spiritual lives of others, as they have been related to me. To hear some people tell it, they speak with God on a regular basis and are constantly being given direction on what they should do. God is quite busy in their lives, and they are extraordinarily open to receiving his consoling word. Here is a representative example of some of the reports I've heard (details merged, changed, and embellished to ensure anonymity):

A couple months ago I happened to catch the wonderful 1957 classic movie An Affair to Remember, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, on television. In a nutshell, the movie is about playboy Nick Ferrante (Cary Grant) and former nightclub singer Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) who meet and fall in love while on a cruise ship sailing from Europe to New York.

Matthew Warren committed suicide at age 27 on April 5. He was the son of Rick Warren, pastor of the well-known megachurch Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. During this time of grief and devastation for the Warren family, Rick and his wife, Kay, a couple well-known and warmly loved throughout much of the world, have been graciously flooded with condolences and prayers of support.

Sadly, though, as I follow the aftermath of this tragedy I cannot help but see in it a second...

One fairly regular question the apologists receive at Catholic Answers is "Who is the patron saint of [insert need or desire]?" While the answer to many such questions can be found at sites like the Patron Saints Index, more than a few are not readily answerable. I remember one person who wanted to know the patron saint of skateboarders. Not exactly a patronage that the Congregation for the Causes of Saints is going to...

"Approaching, do not come with your palms stretched flat nor with fingers separated. But making your left hand a seat for your right, and hollowing your palm, receive the Body of Christ, responding Amen. And having with care hallowed your eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, take it, vigilant lest you drop any of it."

~ Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church, Saint; on the proper technique for receiving Holy Communion in the hand (circa A.D. 347).